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May Newsletter


Message from the Principal

Dear Chesterbrook Academy Families,
Spring is in full swing here at Chesterbrook and we are so excited for you and your kids to take full advantage of this gorgeous weather.
Currently our Intermediate teacher, Ms. Sherry, is working on a beautiful garden space outside. When it is complete, we will have the kids do some planting.
Teacher appreciation week is this month; May 4-8, and we want all our families to show your teachers how much their hard work means to you. Here are the themes for each day:
Monday May 4- Sweets for Your Sweet
Tuesday May 5- Flowers for Teacher
Wednesday May 6- Spa Day
Thursday May 7- Gifts from the Heart
Friday May 8- Thank You Potluck Lunch( sign up sheet next to the sign-in book in the front office)

Original Works orders are due May 6. These products are so much fun and a great way to preserve your child’s artwork forever. Great Mother’s Day gifts!
Quick reminder: We are still keeping guests out of the Infant room due to the measles outbreaks around the country. Only parents and staff will be permitted in the Infant room.
Thank you for your continued support and we know this will be a great month!

Sincerely,
Brittany Lynch
Assistant Principal


Important Events

MAY
• May 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 8- Mother’s Day Tea 3:00
• May 15- National Chocolate Chip Day
• May 20-Pick Strawberries Day
• May 25- Memorial Day/CBA Closed
• May 27-Sunscreen Day

 


From the Education Department

Developing Confident Future Readers

March is National Reading Month, so it is a great time to reinforce how important it is to expose children to books from an early age. We engage all of our students in language and literacy activities every day throughout the school year.

Research has shown that reading aloud to children has a profound influence on their speech development and listening skills. Reading allows children to experience the wondrous world depicted in books, and thrive on the interaction with adults.

Below are age appropriate activities that we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about reading, as well as recommended books to read with your child at home.

INFANTS – Linking sensory and reading experiences
In the classroom: We introduce language and literacy beginning with our infants, by consistently speaking, reading and singing to them. Teachers choose interactive books with bright colors, different textures and pop-up designs to help stimulate infants’ growing sensory awareness.
Books to read at home: Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt, Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet and Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont

TODDLERS – Rhyme and repetition
In the classroom: Toddlers enjoy hearing the same books read over and over again, because they are able join in as the stories become more familiar. Teachers read books with rhyme and repetition, such as Goodnight Moon, and vary their voice each time they tell the story. The change in tone gives children a chance to hear different sounds, and encourages them to practice making the sounds themselves.
Books to read at home: All Fall Down by Helen Oxenbury, Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox and Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

BEGINNERS – Engaging the imagination
In the classroom: Around age two, children begin to develop a love for the world of imagination. It’s important to engage children’s imaginations and encourage them to participate in shared reading experiences. A picture walk motivates children to rely on pictorial clues to decipher the story’s plot and make predictions. Before reading the story, the teacher and student flip through the book, and the child is encouraged to make predictions about the characters and plot. The teacher then reads the book aloud with the student. When finished, the child is asked to relate his predictions to the actual outcome of the story. For example, “Now that you know what happened, why was the elephant wearing a tutu?” or “What would you have done if you were the elephant?”
Books to read at home: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, Corduroy by Don Freeman or Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

INTERMEDIATES – Exploring the wider world
In the classroom: As our Intermediates are introduced to the Citizens of the World component of our curriculum, they read about different places, cultures and traditions in books. Books help children understand and enjoy learning about the diversity of human experience. During circle time for example, we may read a story about children living in another country, in a different type of house and wearing different types of clothes. Afterward, the teacher connects the story back to what the children know by asking, “What does your house look like?” and “Who lives in your house with you?”
Books to read at home: Abuela by Arthur Dorros, So Much by Trish Cooke and On Mother’s Lap by Ann Scott
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 – Nonfiction Adventures
In the classroom: Children are naturally fascinated by the lives of real people and the world around them. Our teachers cultivate this fascination by exposing students to nonfiction books. For example, the class may read both a fiction and nonfiction book about animals. Afterward, they are encouraged to compare and contrast the two books and discuss what was accurate in the fiction book.
Books to read at home: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (fiction) and Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies (non-fiction)
By experiencing a literacy-rich environment, both at school and at home, we instill a love of reading and provide the foundation for our students to become successful, confident readers in elementary school and beyond.

Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education

 


 

Contact Us

Brittany- Brittany.Lynch@nlcinc.com
Jenn- Jenn.Kume@nlcinc.com

As always – if you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to ask!
Sincerely,
Brittany Lynch- Assistant Principal
Jenn Kume

 

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